Background Information

The “PopHeart EP” was the subtitle given to the second “Please” single U2 released in 1997. It was issued in the UK on September 22, alongside the standard “Please” single. In Canada, it preceeded the “Please” single, while in Australia it arrived after the “Please” single. In the USA only one version of the “Please” single was released, with a cover featuring day-glow portraits of four Irish politicians (see the entry for the standard “Please” single) but containing the studio single version of the song along with all four of the live tracks released elsewhere, and with different cover art, as the “PopHeart Live EP.” Even though this release was labelled as an “EP,” it was not kept in circulation after its initial release, unlike the EP “Wide Awake in America” and the “mini album” Under a Blood Red Sky. As time has progressed, finding copies of the “PopHeart EP” has become more difficult, just as it has for other singles from this era.

The EP featured four songs taken from live PopMart performances. Three tracks, “Please,” “Where the Streets Have No Name” (which includes an uncredited snippet of “The Playboy Mansion”), and “Staring at the Sun” are taken from the Rotterdam performance on July 18, 1997, while “With or Without You” is from the Edmonton performance on June 14, 1997. Portions of the Rotterdam show were also broadcast on European TV as part of a special promoting the tour. Songs on that broadcast included “Pop Muzik,” “Please,” “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “Lemon – Discotheque,” “If You Wear that Velvet Dress,” and part of “With or Without You.” The release of PopMart: Live from Mexico City on DVD again used footage from Rotterdam and Edmonton as video bonuses when it was released in 2007.

A live video titled “Please (Mural Cut)” was released on the “History Mix” DVD accompanying some copies of The Best of 1990-2000. Many assumed that this live version was based on the recording from Rotterdam found on the “PopHeart EP.” However, the audio track is actually from the PopMart show in Helsinki, while the video incorporates footage from several different stops on the tour.

Liner Notes

Please (Live):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and the Edge. Recorded live at Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam on July 18th, 1997. Recorded by Andy Rose. Mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent.

Where the Streets Have No Name (Live):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono. Recorded live at Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam on July 18th, 1997. Recorded by Andy Rose. Mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent.

With or Without You (Live):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono. Recorded live at Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton on June 14th, 1997. Recorded by Andy Rose. Mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent.

Staring at the Sun (Live):
Music by U2. Lyrics by Bono and the Edge. Recorded live at Feyenoord Stadium, Rotterdam on July 18th, 1997. Recorded by Andy Rose. Mixed by Mark ‘Spike’ Stent.